PITTSBURGH — A Pittsburgh man faces a preliminary hearing on charges he pumped nearly $44,000 in gasoline using a stolen charge card from his former employer.

Police say 40-year-old Thomas Jones, of the city's West End, was fired from a wholesale florist in November but somehow wound up with a gasoline charge card used by the company's drivers. At first, police and the business owner say Jones pumped a few gallons at a time. But by last month, he was allegedly treating friends to free gas.